Not Veracruz

Author: Joanne Kyger

Publisher: Libellum Books (2007)

This collection of poems written in January–March, 2006, in place of a planned trip to Veracruz, reveals Kyger at the top of her form—spinning light, everyday, observations that suddenly resonate with philosophical depth and political commitment. Her masterful freedom with form accrues visual power across the page in laconic, down-home notes on the septic tank, teenage horror movies, the neighbor's son, and insomnia. Powerful wit enhances the journey; she's in it for the long haul, and when she writes about the government, you want to pay attention.